1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a processing method for processing a plate-shaped workpiece such as a wafer.
2. Description of the Related Art
In processing a plate-shaped workpiece such as a semiconductor wafer or an optical device wafer, a protective tape may in some cases be used for protection of devices formed on the front surface side of the plate-shaped workpiece (refer to, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-open No. Hei 5-198542). The protective tape is composed, for example, of a base material (substrate) and a glue layer on the base material. The protective tape is adhered to the front surface side of the plate-shaped workpiece by the tackiness of the glue contained in the glue layer.
In addition, a support plate for supporting a plate-shaped workpiece may in some cases be used for preventing damages such as cracking, chipping or the like of the plate-shaped workpiece during processing (see, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 2004-207606). The support plate has rigidity necessary for supporting the plate-shaped workpiece, and is adhered onto the front surface side of the plate-shaped workpiece (the object of processing) by use of an adhesive containing a thermoplastic or thermosetting resin.